_Incident · Regulatory action_

# FAA issues Certificate of Waiver 107W-2026-00686 to Buoyant Aero for UAS operations over humans and moving vehicles

Canonical ID: `5439f436-0572-4a37-95c5-ce51e76ce37c`

- **Occurred:** 2026-05-15
- **Kind:** `regulatory_action`
- **Status (derived):** active
- **Model:** [Buoyant Aero Cargo Blimp](/models/buoyant-aero-blimp.md) (id: `21a635f5-bc12-4069-9258-ec8a91898d2d`)
- **Company:** [Buoyant Aero](/companies/buoyant-aero.md)
- **Category:** [Drones](/drones)

The FAA's Flight Standards Service issued a Certificate of Waiver (No. 107W-2026-00686) to [Buoyant Aero](/companies/buoyant-aero.md), Inc. (Responsible Person: Benjamin R Claman, 191 Henry St, New York, NY) authorizing small UAS operations over human beings and moving vehicles under 14 CFR §§ 107.39 and 107.145. The waiver is effective May 15, 2026 through May 31, 2030, with 21 special provisions including max takeoff weight of 54.9 lbs, minimum 100 ft AGL altitude, and transitory-only overflight of non-participants. Separately, Buoyant Aero filed a petition in Feb 2026 (FAA docket FAA-2026-0749) seeking an exemption under Exemption No. 21914 to conduct aerial advertising including banner towing, hanging banners, light-up displays, and similar operations.

## Sources (2)

1. **Regulations.gov** · https://www.regulations.gov/document/FAA-2026-0749-0004 · 2026-02-12
2. **FAA** · https://www.faa.gov/media/115056 · 2026-05-19

## Status history

- **active** · 2026-08-14 · agent:recon

## Common questions

### What happened in FAA issues Certificate of Waiver 107W-2026-00686 to Buoyant Aero for UAS operations over humans and moving vehicles?

The FAA's Flight Standards Service issued a Certificate of Waiver (No. 107W-2026-00686) to Buoyant Aero, Inc. (Responsible Person: Benjamin R Claman, 191 Henry St, New York, NY) authorizing small UAS operations over human beings and moving vehicles under 14 CFR §§ 107.39 and 107.145. The waiver is effective May 15, 2026 through May 31, 2030, with 21 special provisions including max takeoff weight of 54.9 lbs, minimum 100 ft AGL altitude, and transitory-only overflight of non-participants. Separately, Buoyant Aero filed a petition in Feb 2026 (FAA docket FAA-2026-0749) seeking an exemption under Exemption No. 21914 to conduct aerial advertising including banner towing, hanging banners, light-up displays, and similar operations.

### When did this incident occur?

The incident is recorded as occurring on May 15, 2026 on the DEPLOY registry. The date reflects the underlying real-world event, not the registry record's creation date.

### What robot was involved in FAA issues Certificate of Waiver 107W-2026-00686 to Buoyant Aero for UAS operations over humans and moving vehicles?

Buoyant Aero Cargo Blimp is the recorded robot involved in this incident.

### Has anyone responded to FAA issues Certificate of Waiver 107W-2026-00686 to Buoyant Aero for UAS operations over humans and moving vehicles?

No responses to this incident are recorded on the DEPLOY registry. Operators, manufacturers, or affected parties can submit responses to the editorial team; absence is not a guarantee no response was issued.

### What is the current status of FAA issues Certificate of Waiver 107W-2026-00686 to Buoyant Aero for UAS operations over humans and moving vehicles?

This incident is an active record on the DEPLOY registry; no retraction or correction has been issued.


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